Working with Difficult Couples Using Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy

Couples therapy is difficult if you do not have a map to the potent emotional drama that is a couple fighting for their relationship. Even experienced clinicians may face challenges in their ability to address common barriers that prevent effective relationship repair. Successfully treating couples who have escalating interactions and potentially overwhelming emotions can prove as difficult as addressing emotional shut down and withdrawal. 

GoodTherapy.org welcomes the return of the internationally recognized bestselling author and innovator, Dr. Sue Johnson, for this special continuing education event. In this two-hour web conference, Dr. Johnson will outline the therapeutic map she helped develop using attachment science and the Emotionally Focused Model of Couple Therapy (EFT). She will share the EFT targeted approach that helps shape effective and lasting change in relationship satisfaction and attachment security. 

Dr. Johnson will also describe how to successfully address moments when deep attachment injuries block new corrective experiences of responsiveness and secure bonding for couples. Attendees will learn effective EFT strategies and interventions for common comorbidity issues such as depression, trauma, or other stress-related disorders to improve a couple’s overall therapeutic outcome.

The intermediate instructional level web conference is designed to help clinicians:

1. Summarize the stages and key change events in the Emotionally Focused Model of Couple Therapy. 
2. Apply couples therapy interventions to contain interactions and emotional escalation.
3. Discuss strategies to deepen emotional engagement to prevent shut down and withdrawal.
4. Describe the steps in forgiving attachment injuries.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of how to address symptoms of comorbidity in couple therapy.

If you have any questions or concerns about this web conference, or would like more information, please contact us here.

Event Reviews from Members

A great perspective and empirically proven to address relationship issues whether it be with family, friends, community or self. - Margarita Gershik-Gleyzer, LCSW

Very helpful for furthering the development of skills in the therapist. I think the take away is that "difficult" therapy interactions with couples are inevitable and all we can do is hone our skills as therapists to respond. There is no magic bullet for problem-solving, yet I do think that changing our responses to challenging behavior or dynamics, as Dr. Johnson suggests, allows for change in the couple (and in their experience of therapy). - Jill Joanis

Continuing Education (CE) Information

Two CE contact hours will be provided by GoodTherapy.org for attending this web conference in its entirety. 

GoodTherapy.org is an Approved Education Provider by NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (provider #135463). Of the eight counselor skill groups ascribed to by NAADAC, this course is classified within Counseling Services. 

GoodTherapy.org is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy.org, SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0395.

GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can attend this live web conference for $30.95 or access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us.

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